Nefarious Cellars is the work of the husband and wife team Dean and Heather Neff. The Neffs grew up in Washington’s Methow Valley. Though their families had adjoining properties and they knew each other, it wasn’t until a mutual friend set them up that they began dating.

Heather Neff says that they both had an interest in the wine business when they met in 1996. Why did they decide to take the plunge and start a winery? “Probably for the same reason as everyone,” she says. “We love drinking the stuff. It is romantic. Vineyards are beautiful. What could be a better way to live?”

The Neffs started out by planting a test block in 1999 in Pateros in the Columbia Valley just north of Chelan. Their work on this site confirmed that they wanted to get into the business – and that they wanted to grow their own grapes.

First, however, they would detour south to Oregon. After taking classes at the enology and viticulture program at Chemeketa Community College, Dean went to work for Bud Beck at Advanced Vineyards. He subsequent took positions at Deponte Cellars and Soter Vineyards. Heather meanwhile worked on the retail end of the business. The couple made their first wine in 2001, a Pinot Noir under a label called Nonni and Zing. They were hooked.

To start their winery, the Neffs returned to Washington in June of 2004 and bought a property on the south shore of Lake Chelan. In deciding to settle in Chelan, Neff says, “It just felt like the right place to us. From that test block, we had a good sense of what the area would produce and we loved the excitement and challenge in a new region.”

That same year they planted two vineyards near their original test block. Rocky Mother Vineyard and Stone’s Throw Vineyard are located on Dean’s homestead property in Pateros. The Rocky Mother site is planted to Syrah. The Neffs describe it as a “struggler” given the marginal growing conditions in the area. Stone’s Throw is planted to Riesling.

The following year the Neffs planted Defiance Vineyard – which is adjacent to the winery – to Syrah and Viognier. The Neffs say of their vineyards, “We farm them with the least amount of intervention possible and crop them down with a vengeance.” The winery also sources fruit from Sagemoor, Weinbau, Riverbend, and Upland vineyards.

With the vineyards planted, the next step was to come up with a name. Anything with Chelan in it was immediately out, with the area already home to Lake Chelan Winery, Chelan Estate Winery, and Tsillan Cellars (and now Chelan Ridge Winery). They decided on Nefarious – a play on their last name – and branded themselves with a suitably nefarious looking clown (a variation of this image was also on the Nonni and Zing label).

In an interesting arrangement, Dean makes the red wines and Heather makes the white wines. Heather Neff says, “We both wanted to play a part in winemaking and dividing it up by variety just didn't make any sense. We could have chosen to go with co-winemaking, but dividing up by ‘color’ just made sense to us.”

Though some might think this is a recipe for trouble, not so for the Neffs. “It has worked out wonderfully,” Heather says. “Aside from the physical labor aspect, we really don't participate in what each other is doing. It leaves us removed enough that we can more honestly evaluate each others' wines.”

The Neffs opened their tasting room almost exactly five years ago – on Valentine’s Day 2006. The winery site is beyond spectacular, with breathtaking views of Lake Chelan and an outdoor patio with chairs for sitting, sipping, and looking at the lake.

Stylistically, Heather Neff says, “We joke that we are just a chick and a guy striving to blow your mind, but really we just want to make wine that is easily enjoyed and that makes you want more.” In this, they greatly succeed. The Nefarious estate wines showcase this growing area as well as any. Given the high level of tourist traffic and that Lake Chelan is an extremely young region, wine at many of the area wineries can be hit and miss (with a lot of the latter at present). Nefarious stands squarely at the top with wines that are not only the best in the area but are in the upper tier in the state.

While Chelan has long been known for it’s innumerable outdoor activities, the area is increasingly also known as a wine touring destination. Since the couple started Nefarious Cellars, the number of wineries in the Lake Chelan area has grown to almost twenty and the area has gained American Viticultural Area (AVA) status. Neff says, “The best thing to me, is hearing that someone came to Chelan, just so they could go wine tasting. It used to just be something to do in addition to the sun and fun that Chelan has to offer.”

Though being located in a major tourist town has its benefits, the area presents some significant challenges as a viticultural region due to the cool temperatures and a short growing season. No recent year was as challenging as 2010. Neff says, “We were seriously worried, just like everyone else.” However, the Neff’s ‘vengeful’ cropping along with a late September warm spell allowed them to bring in a good crop of fruit. “I am still not even sure how, but we managed to bring in Syrah from our vineyard at 25 brix. Flavors were there, acids were spot on! Everything got ripe, some things really ripe...Thank God,” Neff says.

Excellent site, I cant stop reading!!! Thanks for sharing all your expertise with us!!! I found this other web also very interesting talking about how we define quality in wine and so on, plus they also have lots of racks designs. Keep up the good work.http://metalwoodenwineracks.com/wine-rack-store-club/define-quality-wine/